주일낮설교(한영중)
Bible Verse: Psalms 23:1-6
…
0
1,674
2017.02.03 11:41
Bible Verse: Psalms 23:1-6
Title: The Lord is my Shepherd
1 A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I will introduce a special adulthood ceremony in a Native American tribe. In order for them to survive, little boys are taught to handle knives, spears, use archery and other forms of martial arts. When a boy becomes 13, he is left alone deep inside a mountain. The left alone boy will experience much terror and fear.
Since this ceremony has been passed from generation to generation, that particular obstacle must be overcome. A brave Native American must overcome any fear. There are boys who despair and even faint in the midst of fear when left alone in the mountain. However, in the midst of that, a brave Native American is born in the darkness full of terror.
A certain boy among the Native Americans was left alone in the mountains. When the night came, the boy became afraid of the darkness and the cries of wild animals. The boy tried his best to keep calm. However, after a short while, there came a rustling sound from a nearby place. He couldn't find any trace of an animal. The rustling sound continued, but he still couldn't figure out what animal it was.
The boy was very nervous and tense. As the sound became louder, the boy's right hand clenched harder. In his right hand was a knife that was meant for emergencies. The sound continued to grow louder, but the animal remained hidden.
The boy thought the sound came from a very scary wild animal. What appeared to the scared boy was not a wild animal, but his father. His father watched over his son the whole night armed with a spear and bow in case wild animals attacked the son. Hallelujah!
The father who sent his terrified son to the mountains was watching over him even though his son couldn't see him. As long as the father was protecting his son, the son wasn't afraid nor was he nervous.
According to today's Bible verse Psalms 23:4, we will not be afraid if our God becomes our shepherd. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. amen.
In the beginning of verse 4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil..." we see that when God becomes our shepherd, death cannot control our lives. Our lives is within the authority of God.
Many people have near death experiences. Last week, I went to Dae-gu hospice twice. There was a person who was going to die soon. But that person was a healthy house wife just a few months ago. Her husband served an Indian community. Although healthy and happy just a few months ago, now her life was like a candle flickering in the wind. She had pancreas cancer and there wasn't anything that could be done. Her husband could only cry.
He calls out her name, tells her to pull herself together. He wishes dearly that she would live a little longer. But no one can control life the way they want. We live life up to a certain predetermined time. And behind the scene is God who has control over life.
People have misunderstandings about death. They think that they will live long because they are young and healthy. Also, they think that they will soon die because they are old and sick. That can happen, but not all the time.
Last week, a Korean teacher sent a shocking sad news. Their younger sibling and the sibling's spouse enjoy mountain climbing and rock climbing. On a particular day, while trying to decide whether to go mountain climbing or rock climbing, the wife persuaded him to go mountain climbing. However, while mountain climbing, a friend who went with him had a heart attack. They called 119 and a helecopter was dispatched.
However, on that day, the wind was especially strong, so the helicopter kept flying around for a while and finally managed to transfer the patient. Unfortunately, the patient had already died.
What was even more shocking was that the helicopter wasn't actually delayed by the wind. There was another accident in the rock climbing course where a person fell and died. The helicopter was transfering the corpse, so it was delayed.
The husband and the wife got a shock when they discovered that the person who died was part of their team. When the husband was trying to decide whether to go mountain climbing or rock climbing, he split his team into two groups. The person who died in the rock climbing accident was actually a person from his team. In the end, with accidents happening to both groups, death couldn't be avoided.
We can't avoid death in our lives. That time of death may be too early or perhaps it may be pleasant, but no one can avoid it. What I want to tell you is that even though we can't avoid the valley of death, we find in today's Bible verse that as long as God becomes our shepherd, we will not be afraid of death.
Before we knew Christ, we were afraid of death. But we must not forget that Jesus Christ took care of the pain of death that we are all concerned about.
By rising from the dead, Jesus Christ gave all believers the hope of resurrection. Even though death attacks believers under the mask of the law, we can welcome Jesus as our new bridegroom and enjoy everlasting life. Hallelujah!
I hope you will believe that death is not something to be afraid of nor be terrified of. We must not forget that even though death comes, Jesus Christ's resurrection gives us the hope of eternal life.
For believers, death is no longer death. It is a process where we go to a better place to rest forever in God's house. It is a process where the old person dies forever and the new person is transformed in glory.
It is becoming a new creation in Christ. It is life where death is no longer king, where there are no tears, no sadness and no pain. That eternal life is given us who believe in God as our shepherd and follow him as a gift. Hallelujah!
Do you believe that God is our shepherd? In verse 1, Christ becomes our shepherd so that we lack nothing. In the English Bible, King David said that when Christ becomes his shepherd, he doesn't need anything. Let's read verse 1-3 together.
1 A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
When Christ becomes our shepherd, we do not need anything. A person who lives in this world is always thirsty and never satisfied no matter how much they have.
The world does not take away our thirst. Why do believers thirst? It is because they do not see value in what is valuable. The fountain of life is pouring out from Jesus Christ, but we pay for things that are not important and do not know what is important and of value.
Believers received from Jesus Christ hope of eternal life, something that can't be bought in this world and is the most valuable thing. We have received it out of grace. Jesus paid it for us. He died on the cross and we are guaranteed eternal life. Unfortunately, materialism, the pursuit of material things because they seem valuable, is spreading.
For believers, nothing in this world can replace Jesus Christ. There is nothing that is more precious that Jesus. I hope you believe that only Jesus is our eternal saviour. If we know that Christ is our shepherd, our souls will revive. Verse 3 says " He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Amen.
Jesus saves our souls. He saves us from death and sin and guides in paths of faith and righteousness. Our life can't be satisfied with things of this world. When the soul is satisfied, then will you have true satisfaction. When the soul is joyful and thankful, life is enjoyable. There must be spiritual satisfaction to have joy in life. My soul must praise and honor God to have a life filled with joy.
My soul must be well to be joyful always. I pray that this grace be with you all in Christ's name. When we are certain that Christ becomes our shepherd, we will praise Him just like verse 6 says.
"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
The soul must be revived to praise God. Singing is the highest degree of joy. When joy is achieved at the highest degree, singing can be expressed properly. We often use the expression "They are singing" when someone enjoys something.
Thus, singing is a joyful thing. It is the same with praising God. We can praise Him when our soul is joyful. We can praise Him when our soul is free and full of grace.
There was a mother who had many children. The mother would often get her children to recite the Lord's Prayer when they awake in the morning so that they would get in the habit of praying.
She would get them to do the same thing at night. She would spend one hour praying in a small room. She would tell her children that the most important thing to do among many things was praying. To her, praying was a joyful time. This is the same as praising God and thanking Him.
The mother's life time wish was to pray to and worship God and enjoyed them. The surprising thing is, the mother's prayer and worship saved the corrupted England at that time in the 18th century.
In that age, the English church was full of corruption. Religion and policy conspired, so it was a chaotic time. Drinking bars were everywhere, corrupt government was rampant and violence was frequent. The church authority was strong, social atmosphere was unstable and the economy was in a bad state.
At that time, there was a son who heard his mother's prayers and worship and recited the Lord's prayer in the morning and evening. That son was John Wesley, a person who revolutionized the English religion. His mother was the famous Susanna.
How do you think Susanna prayed. She always changed the topic of her prayer. One of them was titled 'I praise you joyfully God' which was a prayer done on Saturday. It is about hoping to praise and worship God eternally. Her children who grew up listening to their mother's prayer were used by God as she had hoped for. Hallelujah!
My dear brothers and sisters! Because Jesus Christ becomes our shepherd, we have nothing to lack. I pray in Christ's name that you will live a blessed life without want and praise God.
Title: The Lord is my Shepherd
1 A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
I will introduce a special adulthood ceremony in a Native American tribe. In order for them to survive, little boys are taught to handle knives, spears, use archery and other forms of martial arts. When a boy becomes 13, he is left alone deep inside a mountain. The left alone boy will experience much terror and fear.
Since this ceremony has been passed from generation to generation, that particular obstacle must be overcome. A brave Native American must overcome any fear. There are boys who despair and even faint in the midst of fear when left alone in the mountain. However, in the midst of that, a brave Native American is born in the darkness full of terror.
A certain boy among the Native Americans was left alone in the mountains. When the night came, the boy became afraid of the darkness and the cries of wild animals. The boy tried his best to keep calm. However, after a short while, there came a rustling sound from a nearby place. He couldn't find any trace of an animal. The rustling sound continued, but he still couldn't figure out what animal it was.
The boy was very nervous and tense. As the sound became louder, the boy's right hand clenched harder. In his right hand was a knife that was meant for emergencies. The sound continued to grow louder, but the animal remained hidden.
The boy thought the sound came from a very scary wild animal. What appeared to the scared boy was not a wild animal, but his father. His father watched over his son the whole night armed with a spear and bow in case wild animals attacked the son. Hallelujah!
The father who sent his terrified son to the mountains was watching over him even though his son couldn't see him. As long as the father was protecting his son, the son wasn't afraid nor was he nervous.
According to today's Bible verse Psalms 23:4, we will not be afraid if our God becomes our shepherd. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. amen.
In the beginning of verse 4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil..." we see that when God becomes our shepherd, death cannot control our lives. Our lives is within the authority of God.
Many people have near death experiences. Last week, I went to Dae-gu hospice twice. There was a person who was going to die soon. But that person was a healthy house wife just a few months ago. Her husband served an Indian community. Although healthy and happy just a few months ago, now her life was like a candle flickering in the wind. She had pancreas cancer and there wasn't anything that could be done. Her husband could only cry.
He calls out her name, tells her to pull herself together. He wishes dearly that she would live a little longer. But no one can control life the way they want. We live life up to a certain predetermined time. And behind the scene is God who has control over life.
People have misunderstandings about death. They think that they will live long because they are young and healthy. Also, they think that they will soon die because they are old and sick. That can happen, but not all the time.
Last week, a Korean teacher sent a shocking sad news. Their younger sibling and the sibling's spouse enjoy mountain climbing and rock climbing. On a particular day, while trying to decide whether to go mountain climbing or rock climbing, the wife persuaded him to go mountain climbing. However, while mountain climbing, a friend who went with him had a heart attack. They called 119 and a helecopter was dispatched.
However, on that day, the wind was especially strong, so the helicopter kept flying around for a while and finally managed to transfer the patient. Unfortunately, the patient had already died.
What was even more shocking was that the helicopter wasn't actually delayed by the wind. There was another accident in the rock climbing course where a person fell and died. The helicopter was transfering the corpse, so it was delayed.
The husband and the wife got a shock when they discovered that the person who died was part of their team. When the husband was trying to decide whether to go mountain climbing or rock climbing, he split his team into two groups. The person who died in the rock climbing accident was actually a person from his team. In the end, with accidents happening to both groups, death couldn't be avoided.
We can't avoid death in our lives. That time of death may be too early or perhaps it may be pleasant, but no one can avoid it. What I want to tell you is that even though we can't avoid the valley of death, we find in today's Bible verse that as long as God becomes our shepherd, we will not be afraid of death.
Before we knew Christ, we were afraid of death. But we must not forget that Jesus Christ took care of the pain of death that we are all concerned about.
By rising from the dead, Jesus Christ gave all believers the hope of resurrection. Even though death attacks believers under the mask of the law, we can welcome Jesus as our new bridegroom and enjoy everlasting life. Hallelujah!
I hope you will believe that death is not something to be afraid of nor be terrified of. We must not forget that even though death comes, Jesus Christ's resurrection gives us the hope of eternal life.
For believers, death is no longer death. It is a process where we go to a better place to rest forever in God's house. It is a process where the old person dies forever and the new person is transformed in glory.
It is becoming a new creation in Christ. It is life where death is no longer king, where there are no tears, no sadness and no pain. That eternal life is given us who believe in God as our shepherd and follow him as a gift. Hallelujah!
Do you believe that God is our shepherd? In verse 1, Christ becomes our shepherd so that we lack nothing. In the English Bible, King David said that when Christ becomes his shepherd, he doesn't need anything. Let's read verse 1-3 together.
1 A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
When Christ becomes our shepherd, we do not need anything. A person who lives in this world is always thirsty and never satisfied no matter how much they have.
The world does not take away our thirst. Why do believers thirst? It is because they do not see value in what is valuable. The fountain of life is pouring out from Jesus Christ, but we pay for things that are not important and do not know what is important and of value.
Believers received from Jesus Christ hope of eternal life, something that can't be bought in this world and is the most valuable thing. We have received it out of grace. Jesus paid it for us. He died on the cross and we are guaranteed eternal life. Unfortunately, materialism, the pursuit of material things because they seem valuable, is spreading.
For believers, nothing in this world can replace Jesus Christ. There is nothing that is more precious that Jesus. I hope you believe that only Jesus is our eternal saviour. If we know that Christ is our shepherd, our souls will revive. Verse 3 says " He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Amen.
Jesus saves our souls. He saves us from death and sin and guides in paths of faith and righteousness. Our life can't be satisfied with things of this world. When the soul is satisfied, then will you have true satisfaction. When the soul is joyful and thankful, life is enjoyable. There must be spiritual satisfaction to have joy in life. My soul must praise and honor God to have a life filled with joy.
My soul must be well to be joyful always. I pray that this grace be with you all in Christ's name. When we are certain that Christ becomes our shepherd, we will praise Him just like verse 6 says.
"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
The soul must be revived to praise God. Singing is the highest degree of joy. When joy is achieved at the highest degree, singing can be expressed properly. We often use the expression "They are singing" when someone enjoys something.
Thus, singing is a joyful thing. It is the same with praising God. We can praise Him when our soul is joyful. We can praise Him when our soul is free and full of grace.
There was a mother who had many children. The mother would often get her children to recite the Lord's Prayer when they awake in the morning so that they would get in the habit of praying.
She would get them to do the same thing at night. She would spend one hour praying in a small room. She would tell her children that the most important thing to do among many things was praying. To her, praying was a joyful time. This is the same as praising God and thanking Him.
The mother's life time wish was to pray to and worship God and enjoyed them. The surprising thing is, the mother's prayer and worship saved the corrupted England at that time in the 18th century.
In that age, the English church was full of corruption. Religion and policy conspired, so it was a chaotic time. Drinking bars were everywhere, corrupt government was rampant and violence was frequent. The church authority was strong, social atmosphere was unstable and the economy was in a bad state.
At that time, there was a son who heard his mother's prayers and worship and recited the Lord's prayer in the morning and evening. That son was John Wesley, a person who revolutionized the English religion. His mother was the famous Susanna.
How do you think Susanna prayed. She always changed the topic of her prayer. One of them was titled 'I praise you joyfully God' which was a prayer done on Saturday. It is about hoping to praise and worship God eternally. Her children who grew up listening to their mother's prayer were used by God as she had hoped for. Hallelujah!
My dear brothers and sisters! Because Jesus Christ becomes our shepherd, we have nothing to lack. I pray in Christ's name that you will live a blessed life without want and praise God.
Comments
